Drive II: A Real Human Being
by RightdRive
Summary: **Changed Rating** What's in store for the characters of Drive? My take on what happens after the movie...
1. Chapter 1 - Driver

NOTE: None of the characters belong to me. I claim no ownership over them, and leave it all to the genius of James Sallis, Hossein Amini, and Nicolas Winding Refn.

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Not everyone deserved to be happy. He knew that. He stared directly at the light, waiting for his body to take him away. Instead, captured moments from the past few weeks that he kept hidden away slowly materialized in front of him.

Benecio's arms on his dash, laughing and drenched in orange dusk. The kid loved driving and cars almost as much as he did. Irene laughing as well with a bit more unease as her arms tightened around her son when he gently pulled up on an incline.

Cartoon sharks and Benecio's blue sock-covered foot over his leg. Easy. Simple. Relaxed. He never wanted to watch cartoons on a Saturday evening before. He usually had a job to do. Not then. Then (was it only a few days ago?), he thought he could have a family and lead a simple, quiet life.

He could almost feel the cool metal of the golden bullet in his hand again. It would be something Benecio will never have to worry about after this. He made sure of it. He was safe.

His mind quickly fixated on the memory of one simple, quiet kiss. He hadn't expected her to respond, still feeling the sting from her slap just moments before. Her lips were soft and full. Life finally slowed down as he held her tiny waist and memorized the feeling of those lips against his before he reluctantly let her go. He couldn't look away from her as she slowly raised her eyes to study him, hesitant, yearning, and quiet.

And then he saw the way that she looked at him as walls closed up all around them. They were completely exposed to each other, him with blood and sweat spattered across his face and her standing in the middle of the parking garage in her clean white shirt and purse slung over her shoulder, ready to run some errands. She looked at him with a realized sadness that made time freeze.

Light flooded his vision again, and he saw the road ahead of him. _Drive_. He slowly blinked and shifted, ready to move on, move on from this. Blood, a bagful of black money. He closed the door with finality and drove out of the parking lot, with no one destination in mind. Just a feeling pulling him towards something he couldn't quite describe.

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**Author's Note:** Please REVIEW! Let me know if there's any reason for me to continue or if I should seek another hobby. If you don't like it and don't want to continue reading, I would appreciate a review on where/why I lost your interest :)


	2. Chapter 2 - Irene

NOTE: None of the characters belong to me. I claim no ownership over them, and leave it all to the genius of James Sallis, Hossein Amini, and Nicolas Winding Refn.

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Irene stared at herself in the mirror. She was wearing a ridiculous red dress, something she never wore before because she never had a reason to. Did she look beautiful? There hadn't been a need to think like this for a long time, until she met _him_.

Passing Benecio's room, Irene peeked in to see her son rolling his favorite light blue car that looked similar to _his_ across the floor. She let him play and walked out of the apartment, determined not to lose her nerve. She knocked on his door and let her hand rest on the dark wood, hoping it would swing open and she would see him in his signature scorpion jacket that she had clutched to her body so tightly before. She made to knock again, but stopped.

Maybe it would be better to let him come to her. After yesterday… After everything that happened, she needed to know if he would truly be there. She wouldn't, couldn't let herself fall for anymore broken promises from a man again. She had lasted this long without one. Standard never really took care of them. But, _h__e_ was different. He showed up and made promises that he kept. Irene walked away from his door, resigned that he would find her if he decided that he wouldn't break his promise of coming with them to look out for her and Benecio.

She knew he could look out for them. When she watched him crush that man's face in and turn around to look at her with his worried eyes, he was exposed. His quiet and gentle demeanor suddenly shattered to reveal a simmering, powerful violence that was there all along. She had let that elevator door close between them because she wasn't sure she could see his soft and caring self again.

The phone call had changed everything. She heard it in his voice. The finality reminded her of how his hands that gently clutched her knuckles and carefully put Benecio to bed also could brutally end lives. Those gentle hands knew how to draw her close and apply just the right amount of pressure to give her a glimpse into passion that she never knew existed. She touched her lips, remembering his kiss that shook her to her bones. Irene could hear that he was trying to end it all and find a way out for her, for Benecio. She let the phone fall away before she said anything to change his mind.

Walking back into the apartment, she saw Benecio watching TV on the couch. The screen had a cartoon shark swimming around in an empty sea. Her son stared at the screen and sleepily mumbled, "Not all sharks are bad. That's what he told me."

She sat down next to Benecio and let him prop his feet up on her lap. She let the hours tick away as her son watched cartoon after cartoon and then slowly drift off to sleep. It grew dark, but she kept on watching that same damn shark swim around in an impossibly blue ocean and hoping that maybe one would walk through her door once again.

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**Author's Note:** Don't wanna read this anymore? Please tell me why! :) I appreciate the feedback so that I can try to write something that people will want to read!


	3. Chapter 3 - Benecio

NOTE: None of the characters belong to me. I claim no ownership over them, and leave it all to the genius of James Sallis, Hossein Amini, and Nicolas Winding Refn.

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The plastic blinds swayed back and forth in front of the open window, tapping against the wall. Benecio didn't like waking up to that noise every day. He looked down at the floor and saw that his cars were still out where he left them. He liked cars. He wanted to drive super fast, like the Driver who was keeping the golden bullet for him.

_Thump, thump._ Benecio sat up and looked around his room. Where was that sound coming from? It didn't sound like the sharp knocks on the door that his babysitter made on the weekends. He pushed off his covers and made his way out to the living room, careful not to step on his bright red fire truck.

Benecio slowly peeked out from behind the kitchen wall and watched his mom open the front door. The Driver was standing in the hallway. Propped up against one side of the door, the Driver glanced at him and smirked before falling over face first on the floor. His mother quickly moved aside to avoid the man's fall and poked her head outside to check the hallway for something. He watched as she shut the door and locked it behind her. She stared at the Driver and knelt down on the floor beside him.

Benecio crept closer to look down at the man more closely. The scorpion on his jacket was covered in blood. He remembered his father beaten up, all bloody and the man who gave him the bullet. Was the Driver bleeding because of the golden bullet? Benecio immediately stepped back and tripped over one of his cars that he left out in the living room. His mother, startled by the noise, looked at him sprawled across the floor and quickly walked towards him.

"Benecio, go back inside right now and don't come out until I tell you to, okay?" She was helping him off the floor and leading him back to his room.

Benecio stared at the cars lined along his walls. His favorite light blue car was toppled over right next to his bed. He picked it up, put it against the wall like the others, and wondered if the Driver was going to take him out for a drive again...

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**Author's Note**: Worse? Better? Still want to check out what happens in the next chapter? REVIEW please!


	4. Chapter 4 - Driver

NOTE: None of the characters belong to me. I claim no ownership over them, and leave it all to the genius of James Sallis, Hossein Amini, and Nicolas Winding Refn.

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The Driver grunted as he felt someone pulling him to stand up. The pain was unbearable, but he kept quiet as he stood up slowly, forcing his mind to focus on the scene in front of him instead of the blinding pain coursing through his body.

Somehow, he made it back to apartment 408 and now he was stumbling towards the green couch that he had sat on with Benecio so many times before. Nothing had changed from what he remembered. He slowly looked to the right and recognized blonde hair and a smooth pale neck. She was still here too… _Irene_. She was here with him and cajoling him to get on the couch.

His legs hit the armrest and he felt two small hands push him over as he landed on the couch. He shifted and felt another stab of pain shoot up his left side. Grimacing, he laid still and allowed the feeling to ebb away once again.

He watched her as she took off his jacket and gently lifted up his shirt to look at his wound. Instead of gasping and crying out in horror, her eyes watered before she turned away slowly and made her way to the kitchen. He looked up at the ceiling, comforted by the familiar view of clean white walls. He felt a cool cloth against his skin and glanced down to see her washing away his dried blood with a damp rag, eyes focused on the task at hand and refusing to look at him as he studied her.

He wondered where she learned how to stitch and bandage wounds so well. The Driver thought of her taking care of another man's wounds. The feeling of her fingers making quick, light caresses on his stomach seemed to ebb the pain away more than he thought possible. He closed his eyes and laid his head back against the armrest, enjoying being taken care of for a change.

"It's a miracle that you didn't die from this. You're lucky it didn't nick anything important," she quietly whispered as she placed the finishing touches on his bandaged abdomen and began to clean up the surrounding area. Her words startled him since he half-expected her to never speak to him again. He tried to catch her eye, but she quickly moved past him and disappeared from his view.

He sat still, looking at the table in front of him in the living room. Mail was piled up on one side and Benecio's half-finished artwork and cars were scattered on the other side. A glass of juice was precariously positioned at the edge of the table. He watched as a small hand grabbed the glass. A pair of brown eyes staring at him without blinking. For a few minutes, the pair simply looked at each other.

"You blinked," Benecio grinned.

The Driver smiled, "Yeah, I guess I did."

The boy cautiously came closer and crossed his arms across the armrest of the couch, juice glass still in his hand. "Did the man with the bullet hurt you?"

The Driver looked at the young boy and paused before answering in his hushed tone, "Yes. But, it's all over now. No one is going to hurt you or your mom."

"Benecio, come over here and eat your breakfast." Both Benecio and the Driver looked up at Irene, standing behind them with a plate of scrambled eggs in her hand.

The boy looked back at his mother, before turning around completely, "You said I could watch cartoons while I ate." Irene walked over in front of the TV and set the plate down, gesturing Benecio to sit and eat before turning on the TV. Benecio, with a satisfied grin, sat down in front of his plate and promptly forgot everything around him as he fixated on the muppets dance around on screen.

The Driver quietly followed Irene's every move, never taking his eyes off her. She walked back towards the kitchen and came back moments later with a cup of coffee and a piece of toast, placing it on the floor in front of the couch before hurriedly leaving the area.

After she left, he stared at the space she left in her wake for a moment before glancing at Benecio still in front of the TV, absorbed with his show. He looked down at the plate, placed just within arm's reach. Taking a slice of toast with jam, he brought it to his lips and closed his eyes as he chewed. He would have to think of something to say to her, some way to tell her that he came back to look out for her instead of the other way around… For now though, he would rest, with children' songs playing in the background as he fell asleep.

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**Author's Note:** Hi all. I'm a novice at this and am open to feedback and criticisms. Chapters too long/short? Too wordy? **Please review** and let me know if there's any reason for me to continue or if I should seek another hobby!


	5. Chapter 5 - Irene

NOTE: None of the characters belong to me. I claim no ownership over them, and leave it all to the genius of James Sallis, Hossein Amini, and Nicolas Winding Refn.

WARNING: Some suggestive material, so please do not read if you are averse to such material. Read at your own risk :)

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She moaned, begging for more. His hands were gently caressing her everywhere, yet leaving her unfulfilled. She wanted him to take her to a new height. His lips grazed her neck and she arched into him, his hardened chest perfectly matching her soft willowy curves. His hand followed a painfully pleasurable and slow path down her body, reaching for its destination in the same steadily purposeful manner he personified.

Irene's eyes snapped open. She quickly swung her legs over the side of the bed to sit up and place her hand over her chest to slow her pounding heart. Her cheeks were flushed and she was breathing hard. She felt a wetness between her legs that she hadn't felt in years. Embarrassment now reclaiming her runaway emotions, Irene felt her neck grow warm in a much less pleasant manner.

"I'm going crazy…" she mumbled, as she got up from her bed and put on her robe.

It was pitch black as she walked towards the kitchen. Irene was careful to take small steps to not bump into Benecio's toys scattered across the floor. She grabbed a glass from the drying rack and filled it with tap water before turning around to lean against the counter.

The glowing green light read 1:23 AM on the microwave. The day had gone by so quickly, she hadn't stopped to consider how different things were 24 hours ago. Exactly a day ago, she was comfortably sleeping through the night with no…distractions. Irene glanced out of the corner of her eye at the pair of feet resting on the armrest of her sofa. Was that all he was? A distraction? Is that why he was back and she felt drawn to him? On some level, she knew she was lying to herself again.

Irene set her glass down and walked towards the living room quietly to look down at the man sleeping comfortably on her couch. She smiled. It was appropriate that Benecio had made sure to cover him with his baby blanket. The Driver looked like a baby, finally getting some much-needed sleep. He looked so vulnerable while he slept, so much in contrast to the face that was permanently etched into her memory of him while he brutally smashed a man's face in. God knows what else he had done to keep her and Benecio safe. Irene wondered how someone so brutal could be so gentle at the same time as she studied his features.

Without realizing it, her hand had was nearly resting over the Driver's head, ready to run her fingers through his hair. Irene snatched her hand back and sighed. She turned around to walk away but froze when she felt a warm hand clutch her wrist tightly.

Irene looked back into blue eyes, alert and fixated on her. She had a strong suspicion he had known she was up from the very second she had sat up in bed on the other side of the wall. She tugged gently, trying to pull her hand away. His grip only tightened. It surprised her how much she enjoyed the slight pressure she felt against the inside of her wrist.

"Johnathan," he whispered his eyes never leaving her face.

"What?" Irene was thoroughly confused.

"It's what my mother used to call me."

"Why are you telling me?" She pulled away and this time he let her go.

"Because I thought you should know." He stared at her intently. Irene held his stare and let the tense silence fill the room uncomfortably. She cursed herself as her eyes began to water. Blinking away the unwanted tears, she took a step back.

"I don't want to know. I want you to leave. You're a driver and nothing more. I don't want Benecio to be in any more danger." Irene knew this was her last hope of protecting herself and her son from dangerous men. If she didn't hold her ground now, then she would be swept up into something that went beyond anything she had experienced before.

The Driver studied her face. His eyes wandered down her form, pausing ever so slightly on her chest and hips. Irene flushed, feeling naked under his stare, remnants of her earlier…distraction forcefully pushing its way to the forefront of her mind. She clutched her robe tighter around herself. The Driver looked at her for a moment longer before slowly turning back into the couch. Irene stared at his back. Her mind was screaming at her, angry that she was pushing him away again after she had secretly hoped for his return.

She wiped the single tear that trailed down her face and quickly walked back into her room, making sure to close the door behind her securely, unsure if she wanted the physical or emotional distance from the complicated man in the living room. She leaned back against the frame and calmed her pounding heart.

_Johnathan. John_. Of, course he was a John. Solid, reliable, gentle. Could he have been anyone else? No. She wouldn't think like that. It was done. She had pushed him out of her life. He would be gone in the morning. She made that clear to him. He fulfilled his promise and now he would be on his way. He was a shark, like her son aptly said, and there was no reason for him to stay she told herself. It's for the best.

The tears continued to silently fall down her face as Irene climbed back into bed and fell into a fitful night of sleep as she dreamed of gentle arms holding her close, finally having someone to lean on and keeping her safe from the world.

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**Author's Note**: My first shot at trying to write something a bit more risky. It's changed the feel of the story a little. Like it? Hate it? Please leave a review!


	6. Chapter 6 - Benecio

Chapter 6 – Benecio

NOTE: None of the characters belong to me. I claim no ownership over them, and leave it all to the genius of James Sallis, Hossein Amini, and Nicolas Winding Refn.

I'm sorry it took so long for me to review! School is taking a major toll… Here's the next installment! And as always, leave comments to let me know what you think!

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Benecio knew his mother was angry but he couldn't figure out why. He made sure to sit at the dining table, eat all the vegetables on his plate, even though they tasted gross, _and_ he put his plate and glass in the sink too.

To top it off, he was now doing his homework at the kitchen table, but it was hard when he could feel how upset his mother was. He looked up and studied her face. She was glaring at the Driver… What was his name again? Jack? John?

Benecio frowned at the man sitting at the table in front of him, chewing his food, who seemed to be ignoring his mother. Benecio couldn't understand why the man was acting like he couldn't see or hear his mother. Instead, the man was eating slowly and occasionally glancing at Benecio's homework.

"What's wrong?" For some reason, Benecio felt better to see a smile slowly creep up on the man's face when he spoke.

"What's your name again?" The man paused and glanced at his mother before looking back down at Benecio again.

"It's John." Benecio watched John as he stared right back at him steadily.

"Why are you making my mom angry?" Benecio looked at the Driver, who smirked at him slowly.

"Benecio! That's enough. I think you're done with your homework now." His mother spoke quietly but he could tell she was really mad now… Why? He was just trying to make things better.

For some odd reason, Benecio felt better when he saw the Driver smile. Maybe the Driver knew why his mother was angry and would take care of it, like he took care of the man with the bullet. Benecio glanced down at the numbers on the page in front of him.

"I'm not sure why I'm making her angry. But, maybe I'll have a talk with her if you take a break and go play in your room so I can find out and fix it. Does that sound good?" Benecio looked up at the Driver again and smiled. He glanced at his mother. Her eyes were narrowed and she was clenching her jaws, glaring at John.

"Okay. I'm gonna go play in my room now." Benecio headed to his room, not knowing that he had left behind an awkward and tense situation behind that was waiting to dissolve into rage and chaos.

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**Author's Note**: It's a short one, but lemme know what you think :)


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